A Good Day

Well, I did it. I got through 9 miles today. I even felt like I could go another mile and I'm kicking myself that I didn't, but...I've gotta stick to the running schedule. Thank you for the little motivators that you gave me in the last post. They helped!

I was talking to my uncle this week. He's a hard-core cycler who just goes out on any given day and rides 100+ miles. Saturdays he usually rides for 7 hours!! I was asking him what he thinks about when he's riding up the hard hills or when it starts to get rough. He said that he thinks about the finish. He thinks about the high that comes with feeling like he accomplished something big and about how good he'll feel when he's done. That's what drives him.

After my rough week last week, I realized that I had been too hard on myself. In my mind I was thinking to myself, "I shouldn't be able to do this!" But in reality, I know that I can. So today my mantra as I was running was simply this: "I am a RUNNER!" And I really am! I ran 9 miles today without stopping. Only runners do that. What I say to myself mentally made all the difference. I was also thinking about how good I would feel when I was done, just like my uncle said. I was also thinking about how good I would feel when I finished my half marathon and I pictured a crowd of family and friends cheering for me at the end.

I feel like I have accomplished something great today! It's been a good day.